Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo will undergo a medical at Chelsea after rejecting a move to Newcastle.
The centre-back, who will become a free agent when his contract at Craven Cottage expires on June 30, has agreed a long-term deal with the Blues ahead of a free transfer.
3
He graduated from Manchester City’s academy, where he worked under future Blues head coach Enzo Maresca, who was previously the club’s U21 coach.
Chelsea are close to announcing Maresca as their new head coach and are in the final stages of negotiating a deal that will reunite the coach with Adarabioyo.
This would be a major blow for Newcastle, as they considered the 26-year-old a top target.
The Pitch Prospect has learned that the Magpies are pressing for an answer from Adarabioyo. Manchester United had also shown interest in the player and first made contact about a transfer weeks ago.
The Tyneside outfit were believed to be confident of completing a dual deal with the defender and Bournemouth star Lloyd Kelly this summer.
The Pitch Prospect has learned that Adarabioyo wanted to wait and see who qualified for European football, with Chelsea securing a place in the Europa Conference League while Newcastle missed out.
The Blues view the Englishman as a proven Premier League player and were signed due to his heading ability, low injury rate and previous experience with Maresca.
Adarabioyo would join a Chelsea side that bears the City stamp and also features Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia from the champions’ academy.
3
3
Football director Joe Shields was also formerly chief scout at the Etihad and had a lot of say during the Blues’ transfer window, which was owned by Clearlake Capital.
Chelsea are expected to sell academy stars this summer, including Trevoh Chalobah, who United and Bayern Munich are interested in.
They are also looking for a replacement for Thiago Silva after the experienced defender announced his departure earlier this season.
The signing of the out-of-contract Adarabioyo will also support Chelsea’s efforts to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules after the club spent generously over the past two years.
The Fulham star was a key player under Marco Silva but missed the start of the season due to groin surgery.
This season he has made 25 appearances in all competitions, including 132 for the Cottagers.